The Chain of Love
by PGGF
Summary: Oneshot. AU. Rory, Jess, and Emily realize just how small the world can be. Based off Clay Walker's song of the same name.


Author: PGGF

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or the song.

AN: I was listening to music, working on Chapter 7 of Summer Lovin' in the South, when I heard this song and the next thing I knew the story practically wrote itself. For the most part the dialogue is mine, but some bits were borrowed from the song for the story. 

Summary: Rory, Jess, and Emily realize just how small the world can be. Characters are a little OOC, but it's AU so that's to be expected. Also, Rory and Emily aren't related for the stories sake.

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Jess

Jess sighed with relief as the clock read 10 p.m. He could finally close up and get home. Today had been particularly draining on him. He had changed the oil and rotated tires on several different cars. The garage didn't let up from open to close. He'd pulled yet another week working 80 hours, give a take a few. He was exhausted, but they needed the money now more than ever.

He tallied the day's business and placed the ledger back in the desk drawer when he had finished. After checking all of the locks on the the doors he let himself out. The rush of freezing cold air took his breath away. His hands trembled in the cold as he locked the office door.

His beat up Pontiac seemed miles away. He sighed as he surveyed the rusted dents and peeling paint. The cloth interior had cigarette burns all over it, the passenger side window only rolled halfway down, and the back door on the driver's side could only be opened from the outside. 'She deserves better than this,' he thought, yet again. She deserved a nice, big house in a quaint neighborhood, complete with a picket fence and _two_ reliable vehicles for them to share. Not a run-down house in the middle of nowhere with a junky car to be used between the both of them. He hated that they were both working so much lately they only saw each other late at night. And then they were too tired to do anything but talk briefly before falling asleep only to get up the next day to do it all over again.

As Jess was driving home, lost in his thoughts, he noticed a car on the side of the road with the emergency flashers on. He whistled as he noticed the car was a new Mercedes. He wondered what a car like that was doing in a town like this as he pulled off onto the shoulder behind it. He walked over to the driver's side window and lightly tapped on it. It opened a little and he saw a frightened looking woman inside.

"Having a bit of car trouble, Ma'am?" he asked as politely as he could in his tired state.

"Yes. I have a flat tire and haven't a clue how to fix it. I've been trying to reach my husband, or our mechanic, but I can't get any reception out here," she said, holding up her cell phone.

"Do you have a spare?"

"I believe so. In the trunk."

"You mind popping it open? I'll check and if you have one I'll change it for you."

"Oh thank you, thank you. I'm from Hartford and I'm only passing through. I'm on my way back to the interstate. There must have been a hundred cars that drove right passed me. This is awful nice of you."

"It's no problem. By the way, my name's Jess."

The window between them opened a couple more inches. "Emily. Emily Gilmore. It's nice to meet you," she said, sticking her arm out the window to shake his hand.

"It's nice to meet you too. I'll have you fixed up and ready to go in just a minute."

Emily squeezed his hand and smiled at him. Jess smiled in return and walked around to the trunk and saw that she did indeed have a spare, but no jack.

"You have a tire, but no jack. I'm gonna go grab mine from my car and a flashlight and I'll be right back."

"I'm terribly sorry to cause you so much trouble."

"It's fine," Jess assured her and went to get the jack and flashlight from his car. He came back to Emily's car, smiling softly as she got out, wrapped in a coat that probably cost more than he made in a year, and offered to hold the flashlight for him.

Jess jacked the car up and quickly changed out the tires. He put the flattened one back in the trunk and took the flashlight from Emily. "All finished."

"I really can't thank you enough. How much do I owe you?"

Jess waved his hand, looked Emily straight in the eye and said, " You don't owe me a thing, I've been there too. Someone once helped me out, just the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here's what you do, don't let the chain of love end with you."

Jess waited until she got into her car and back on the road before continuing his drive home.

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Emily

She pulled back on the road, waving back to Jess. She couldn't believe someone, especially as nice as Jess, had finally stopped to help her. She hadn't exaggerated when she said a hundred cars had just passed by her without a second glance.

Feeling a little hungry and in dire need of a cup of coffee, she pulled off into a little diner. Getting out of the car, she pulled her Burberry coat tighter around her to ward off the chill.

The diner was warm and full of the sounds of the kitchen. A small television was in the corner, showing re-runs on TV Land. There were a couple of late night diners scattered around. She looked around for a waitress but didn't see one.

"Have a seat wherever you want and I'll be right there," a female voice shouted from the back.

Emily chose a booth in the corner and glanced at the menu. She noticed movement in the corner of her eye and saw a young woman who must have been 8 months along and looked dead on her feet. 

She caught Emily's eye and smiled at her, waddling over to her table. "I'm sorry about the wait. We're shorthanded right now. I'm the manager, waitress, hostess and dishwasher tonight," she chuckled.

"Oh my," Emily said. "Should you be doing all that in your condition? You must be exhausted."

The waitress smiled slightly. "You do what you have to do to get by, right? Anyway, are you ready to order?"

"I'll just have a coffee and toast, no butter, with strawberry preserves.

"Okay. It'll be ready in just a minute."

Emily watched as the waitress put the bread into the toaster before filling a mug up with coffee and waddling it back over.

"Would you like any milk or cream?"

"No, thank you. I like it best black," Emily smiled.

"Okay. I'll go get your toast."

She cut the toast diagonally and placed the pieces on a plate. She grabbed a small jar of strawberry preserves and made her way back to Emily's table. "Here you go. Enjoy. If you need anything else just let me know."

"I will. Thank you, Dear."

As Emily ate she continued to watch the young waitress. She was wiping down the empty tables and counters. She would pause every so often and reach back to rub her lower back before continuing on with her work. After she finished with the tables she came back over to Emily's table.

"Do you need a refill, Ma'am?"

"No, thank you. I'm fine. I just need my check and I'll be on my way."

"Sure thing." She wrote down Emily's total and walked the check back to the table. Emily had her money already out in her hand. She glanced at the total and said, "I'm sorry but I don't have anything smaller than this," handing her a $100 bill.

"That's no problem," the waitress said cheerfully. She slowly walked to the cash register to get the customer her change. As she turned back to bring Emily the money she stopped in her tracks. The table was empty. Emily had left the diner. She walked back over to the table and saw a napkin with writing on it. Her eyes filled with tears as she read what Emily had written, _You don't owe me a thing, I've been there too. Someone once helped me out, just the way I'm helping you._

_If you really want to pay me back, here's what you do, don't let the chain of love end with you._

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Rory

"Thanks for the ride. That husband of mine worked over again and I didn't want to make him come back out in this weather to get me."

"That's okay. I'll bring you home anytime, Rory. You know that. I feel the same way as your husband, no matter how safe this town may be you don't need to be out here walking around by yourself. Especially as cold as it's gotten lately."

"Hey! I'm a tough chick. I can handle my own," Rory chuckled.

"I bet you can, but you need to handle a good night's sleep. You worked harder than I did tonight and I think _I_ might die."

"Nah, you're just a wimp," she teased. "Besides, you can't drop dead now, who will give me a ride home tomorrow night?"

Andy chuckled. "Goodnight Rory. Tell that sorry sack of skin that you married that when things settle down around here we'll get together and play cards again."

"Oh joy. How I've missed the days of waking up to find several men passed out around my house, surrounded by beer cans and poker chips."

"You know you love it."

"About as much as I'd love a root canal. Goodnight, Andy."

Rory let herself in the house and smiled as she looked around. She simply loved it there. It was incredibly cozy and just the right size. She couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Shutting the living room blinds, she sighed as she caught sight of the car. She loved how much history was ingrained in the heap of metal. She finished shutting the blinds and turning out the lights before heading into the bathroom to shower before bed.

After toweling off and dressing in her pajamas she towel dried her hair. Picking her pants up from the floor she cleaned the pockets out before tossing them into the laundry basket. She placed the things from her pocket on her nightstand and climbed into bed next to her husband.

He had tried to stay awake for her, but lost the battle. He was sleeping partially on his side with a book propped up on his chest. Rory smiled and gently lifted the book, careful to mark his place, before placing it on her nightstand as well.

"Hey," he mumbled, his voice heavy with sleep. "When did you get home?"

"Not long ago. You should go back to sleep. It's late."

"You didn't call so I'm assuming Andy gave you a ride home?" he asked pulling her closer to him.

"Yeah. He wants to get together when things are settled and play cards."

"Sounds good," he said through a yawn.

"How was work?"

"Busy. Long. But I figured it up and we should be able to afford a new car in the next week or two."

"That'll be good. I'm gonna miss the old one though."

He snorted. "Why the hell would you miss that heap of shit?"

"Hey!" Rory protested. "We've had a lot of great times in that car. Remember when we drove up to New York to spend the day?"

"I mostly remember pushing it home when the damn thing quit on us just outside of town."

"Or what about when were teenagers? All those times I'd sneak out my window and you'd come pick me and we'd go to Lover's Lane?"

He smirked. "_Those _were good times."

"The first time you kissed me was in that car," Rory said wistfully.

"I remember. I took you to Hartford to eat and to see a movie. You were wearing that little black dress and those strappy heels. You had your hair down. Drove me crazy all night. I was dying to kiss you the whole time and when I dropped you back off at your mom's I finally did it."

Rory smiled. "We'll just have to make sure we make plenty of new memories in our next car."

"Definitely," he agreed. Then he reached over to rub her protruding belly. "Won't be long now, huh?"

Rory grinned. "No. It won't."

"We still have a lot to do. A lot to buy." He sounded worried.

Rory thought back to the napkin she had saved and used as a bookmark for his book. She remembered the words written on the napkin. Cuddling closer to her husband she whispered, "Everything's gonna be alright. I love you, Jess."

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The End.

AN: Please review after finished. Thanks.


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